The DIGIT-FUR project ends with the International Conference “Impacts of the digital transformation on the manufacturing industry: the furniture sector case”

Led by CENFIM, the DIGIT-FUR project presented its results at the International Conference organized by the cluster on February the 7th. The conference took place in the Auditorium of the Barcelona Maritime Museum with 73 registered professionals.

The DIGIT-FUR project, involving 43 European multidisciplinary experts, which carried out a Delphi analysis of how digitalisation will transform during next years the furniture industry in Europe. The project has identified the most probable scenario for the sector in 2025, analysing the effects that digitization may cause in relation to tasks, occupational risks and the new training needs of workers. It was implemented with the financial support of the European Commission and with the support of EFBWW (European Federation of Building and Woodworkers), UEA (Union Européenne de l’Améublement) and EFIC (European Furniture Industries Confederation).

At the conference, the DIGIT-FUR team and experts presented the project results. Participants were welcomed by Ramón Gabarró, president of CENFIM, who defined DIGIT-FUR as the most relevant project that has been carried out within the European Union focusing on analysing the impacts of the Digitization on the future furniture sector.

During the first part of the day, the impacts of the digital transformation on the manufacturing companies were the target of several experts: Josep Maria Ganyet (CEO of the consultancy Mortensen), Danny Scheerlinck (sectorial social dialogue policy officer, DG Employment), Massimiliano Rumignani and Julio Rodrigo (CENFIM Innovation Area), Thomas S. Toftegaard (Aarhus University professor), Ellen Schmitz-Felten (Ocupational Safety specialist) and Jeroen Doom (CEO of WOODWIZE).

The following round table focused on the challenge of VET to respond to workers’ new skills needs. Chaired by Joan Lluís Espinós, General Director of Initial VET and special scheme training of the Education Department of the Catalonia Government, and moderated by Joaquim Solana, CENFIM Cluster Manager, the round table involved Rolf Gehring, political secretary of EFBWW, Roberta Dessi, general secretary of EFIC, Núria Pi, technical director of the Catalan Institute of Professional Qualifications ICQP, and Jaume Cárceles, Director of the Furniture Department of the VET Institut Pere Martell.

All project result are available at the following link: http://digit-fur.eu/documents/